senior weightlifting
Live Longer with Weightlifting
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story: Matt Heintzelman, Titan Tactical Fitness
hat if I told you that several of the top causes of death in senior populations in the United States were preventable with a regular weightlifting routine? When we think of lifting weights, it’s easy for our minds to envision the large, burly physiques of body builders – both men and women – and think to ourselves, “Yeah that’s not really for me.” And I get that. One of the number one concerns I deal with on a regular basis is whether lifting weights will cause an individual to get larger, more burly, and therefore work against what that individual is trying to achieve. And while that is something that can occur, it only happens with strict, militant discipline to weightlifting for long durations… not to mention the astronomic amount of work that needs to occur in the kitchen. The truth is that most of us don’t have the time or patience to put on that kind of muscle… and that’s okay! That’s not on the goal list for most of us. So if that’s not the goal, why lift weights at all? As it turns out, there are a MASSIVE amount of scientifically-backed reasons why nearly EVERYONE should participate in a regular (and simple!) weightlifting routine. This is particularly true with senior populations.
Benefits of Weightlifting As age increases, muscle mass and strength decreases. From age 50, muscle mass begins to decrease by 1-2% annually. In your 50s, muscle strength starts to fall by 1.5% and from age 60 and older it begins to decrease by 3% annually. It is estimated that 5-13% of elderly people in the age range of 60-70 years old and 11-50% for those aged 80 or above suffer from sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss). This issue can lead to an increase in frailty and a significant increase in the risk of falls and promote the onset of other health issues. One primary benefit of weightlifting in older adults is to fight this age-related muscle loss. Weightlifting has been shown to create significant improvements in muscle mass and muscle quality; increasing general strength as well as maximal strength; and improving overall physical endurance, including muscular endurance, aerobic conditioning, walking speed, and VO2 Max (a measurement of maximum oxygen consumption levels). When you perform weightlifting exercises, the tension on your muscle fibers results in growth signals that lead to increased strength. Resistance exercise also increases the actions of growth-promoting hormones. These signals combine to cause muscle cells to grow and repair 16
february 2022 | Forever Young
themselves, both by making new proteins and by turning on special muscle stem cells called “satellite cells,” which reinforce existing muscle. Thanks to these processes, weight training and resistance exercise is the most direct way to slow, prevent, and reverse the loss of overall muscle mass and function due to aging, as well as any health issues related to muscle loss. Increase Muscle, Decrease Body Fat Another great benefit of weight training and increasing muscle mass comes in the form of lower levels of overall body fat. On the surface, there are some obvious pieces to this. If you’re weightlifting, you’re burning more calories. When we burn more calories, we can lose weight (assuming we aren’t consuming more than we are burning). But let’s take a deeper look… Did you know that in a thirty-minute weightlifting session, you could actually burn MORE calories than a thirty-minute session of any cardio-based activity? To understand this, we actually need to look beyond just the thirty-minute session. While most of us burn more calories performing any cardio-based activity during those thirty minutes – I still cringe every time I start a run – we actually burn more calories over the next 36-48 hours because of a weightlifting session. When we lift weights, our bodies go through a more rigorous recovery process to rebuild our muscles… and that requires CALORIES! So even after your weightlifting session is over, your body is STILL burning more calories for you. How cool is that?! And if we take it a step further, long term weightlifting will lead to an overall increase in rates of metabolism. One study demonstrated an increase in metabolic rate by 7% and a decrease in fat weight of 4 lbs over 10 weeks of training. So not only will you be losing weight and gaining muscle, but weightlifting will also increase the level of calories your body is burning on its own while you’re active AND resting. Strength and Independence In a country where we celebrate Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, we really should emphasize weight-training in older adults because it offers exactly that. Consistent weight-training routines give folks a higher level of independence and more control with their own bodies. These improvements are seen in: -- Higher improvements in static and dynamic balance -- Improved neuromuscular functioning and control -- Greater levels of mobility and flexibility -- Improved capability of walking, with an
